Russia: Invitations Sent for Upcoming Syrian National Dialogue Congress

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Special Representative of the Russian President for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev confirmed that Moscow has sent invitations letter to several countries to attend the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, expected to kick off on January 29 in Black Sea resort of Sochi.

According to Lavrientyev, the conference is aimed at supporting the inter-Syrian dialogue, with the goal of creating a new Syria, preserving its unity, territorial integrity and independence.

Another aim of the summit is to promote the peace process in Syria in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, the Russian Sputnik News Agency added.

Russia on behalf of the three guarantor states of Syrian ceasefire, which include Russia, Iran, and Turkey sent invitation letters to Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia and has invited them to participate in the Congress of the Syrian national dialogue, according to the invitation letter.

The invitation letter said also that the UN representatives will be also invited as well as observers from Britain, China, the United States and France.

Lavrentiev had said earlier that Tehran, Moscow, and Ankara have reached an agreement on the list of participants in the Syrian National Dialogue Congress.

In remarks released on Saturday after a meeting with representatives of Iran and Turkey in Sochi, Lavrentiev said the three countries have agreed on the list of participants in the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, adding that the final formalities may take a couple more days.

He further called the Saturday meeting as “successful” and said, “We shall face work to finalize everything, which may take a day or two at maximum.”

Moscow is interested in the UN Special Envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura’s participation in the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, Lavrentiev said.

“We want the UN representation at the forum (to be) at the highest possible level, and we hope the secretary general will send over to Sochi the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, who could participate in the event’s opening,” he noted.

On November 19, Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorists were flushed out of their last stronghold in Syria’s Al-Bukamal. The city’s liberation marked an end to the group’s self-proclaimed caliphate it had declared in 2014.

On November 22, the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey held talks on the Arab country’s crisis in Sochi, coming up with a plan for the Syrian National Dialogue Congress.